A young family member recently said, “I don’t know why I should vote this election year — the votes of Californians don’t seem to matter.” Unfortunately, voting patterns suggest that a lot of our fellow citizens share that apathy — or act as though they do. Yet, who among us would disagree that our democracy is built on the principle that we are a nation governed by “we, the people” through our right to vote? Undeniably, increasing the numbers of people who vote regularly — and helping ensure that voters are an informed electorate — are worthy goals for any …